Starter guide for use in drilling holes in concrete and the like



w. R. MOREY ETAL 3,162,066

STARTER GUIDE FOR USE IN DRILLING HOLES IN CONCRETE AND THE LIKE Dec. 22, 1964 Filed June 1, 1961 INVENTORS WILLIS R. MOREY RICHARD K. MOREY' BY &d/vu7 W W ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofllice 3,162,066 Patented Dec. 22, 1964 This invention is a starter guide for use in drilling holes in concrete and the like where power drills are used in drilling holes in floors, walls, ceiling, etc., composed usually of concrete and like materials although being adaptable, as well, for use on wood surfaces.

The present practice, where starter guides for different size power drills are employed, is to use a template which is a flat plate with different sized holes for the accommodation of drill bits of corresponding sizes. These plates are difiicult to hold with one hand while holding the power drill with the other hand, this being especially true when starting a hole in ceilings or other overhead work. These plates must be large enough for multiple holes, usually five or more, and consequently even pressure is not given any one hole. It is diflicult to keep the plate from slipping. As an alternative, for startingdrill holes attachable and removable starter points are also used. These points are made for individual sized core bits, one for each size. The starter points are inserted in the core bits and as soon as the hole is started they must be removed and the drilling operation then continued with the regular core bit. The starter bits soon become dull and must be sharpened, entailing expense and loss of time. It is therefore an object of this invention to eliminate these recognized disadvantages and drawbacks in the art and to employ a starter guide which adapts itself to multiple size drill bits and may be held firmly in position all during the drill starting operation.

' Other objects of the invention are to provide a pocket size starter guide especially adapted for use with drill bits of varying diameters from to 1 /2"; to provide a starter guide for use in drilling holes in concrete and like materials which includes a master guide plate with an opening of a circumference to complement the diameter of the largest drill bit, within a predetermined series of sizes; to provide adapters which are selectively engageable in the opening of the master plate, each of which is provided with an opening, the circumference of which complements the diameter of the drill bit which it is adapted to receive; to provide adapters for use with a master guide plate, the adapters being capable of expeditious engagement with and disengagement from the master plate, by hand, and without the use of tools of any kind; to provide a master guide plate of sufficient thickness to insure axial centering of the drill in the plate, with an absence of wabble, during the drilling operation; to provide adapters each equipped with a flange surrounding its opening to effect stabilization of the drill bit continuously during the drilling operation; and to provide a master plate having index lines run ning at predetermined intervals, on the outer face of the plate, from the wall of the plate opening to the perimeter of the plate, to automatically center the hole on a demarked work zone.

Further objects of this invention will be manifest from adapter therein, and showing a drill bit in proximity there- FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the drill bit arranged through the guide and adapter and in operation on a surface;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the guide showing the master guide plate with suction cups in elevation and the adapter subjacent the plate also in elevation;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view of the guide with adapter mounted therein; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG. 3 lookingin the direction of the arrows.

In order to illustrate the application of this invention there is illustrated in FIG. 1 a conventional type of hand power drill it) which includes a bit 11 with a working end 12. The working end of the bit is adapted to be inserted through the guide for engagement with the work in an apparent manner.

The guide of this invention includes a master plate 13 which in this instance consists of a metal plate provided with a'central opening 14. The opening is of any desired size but for the purposes of the present invention is adapted to complement a maximum size bit within a predetermined size range. The present invention is sold to the trade as a so-called pocket size drill starter guide. In this size guide the maximumdiameter of drill bit used in the master plate is 1 /2". By making the master plate 13 of appreciable thicknessthe wall of the opening 14 is of ample depth to positively hold the bit 11 in axial alignment in the opening to prevent, what is sometimes referred to in the art as, bit wabble. Thesurface engaging face of the guide 13 is equipped with retention elements, generally designated 15, each of which, in the present instance, consists of a rubber suction cup 16 which has issuing therefrom a shank 17 the terminal of the shank being reduced in diameter and screw threaded, as indicated at 18. 7 As advantageously illustrated in FIG. 2 of the drawing the threaded portions. 18 of the shanks are adapted to be threaded into corresponding holes formed in the master plate 13. The cups may be of any desired number. It has been found that with the present pocket size guide three cups are suficient to effect positive retention of the plate in operative proximity to the work. The cups, under hand pressure on the outer surface of the master plate 13, positively retain the plate in a predetermined position on the working surface whether it be un derfoot as in a floor, on the sides, as in a wall, or overhead, as in a ceiling. Pressure is exerted on the master plate customarily by the left hand of the workman, the

right hand being used to hold the power drill It).

This invention also contemplates the use of adapter plates one of which is shown at 19 in the drawings. The adapter plates are preferably made of relatively light metal or like material, each having a central opening therein surrounded by an annulus 20, which serves as a guide for the drill bit 11 after the fashion shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The edge of the plate body is reversely folded on itself and issues, at intervals, into fingers 21, the free terminal each of which is bent inwardly, as indicated at 22, in the direction of the flange 26. In placing the adapter in use, pressure is exerted on the outer surface of the adapter plate so as to cause the fingers 21 to be urged through the opening 14 of the master plate. By bending the free terminals of the fingers inwardly, engagement of the fingers is facilitated in an obvious manner. The

fingers are of suflicient-resilien'ce to permit the latter to move through the opening 14 yet being held in snug en'- gagement with the wallof the latter. A

Any number of adapter plates maybe selectively used so as to accommodate bit sizes varying from A to 1 /2". The construction of the adapter plate, regardless of the size of the opening therein, remains the same.

Each of the master plates is provided in its outer face" with index lines 23 to assist in quickly centering the hole,

he index ines, This aut mat ally ent rs t hole on demarked zone on the Work.

Although the master plate herein shown is circular it is nevertheless to be understood that this, may be of any desired contour and of any desired size. It is especially adapted however for use with the drill bits Within the F7 to 1 /2" range which enables the starter guide to be conveniently carried in the pocket of a workman. Although this guide as presently used is made of metal it may be made of plastic or any other suitable material. The same is of course true of the adapter plates.

The deviceof the present invention has been found to satisfy a definite need in this. art and is rapidly going into use in the trade including use by the United States Government. The guides are so constructed that they may be used for an indefinite period of time and may be used on concrete, marble, and polished surfaces withoutdanger of slippage so. long as the plate is. held With normal hand pressure against the work surface.

While we have herein shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it is nevertheless to,

be understood that various changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of .the appendedrclaims.

What is claimed is:

l. A pocket'size guide for use in drilling starter holes in concrete, including a plate with a single central drill bit opening,.the plate being of a size to provide'adequate surface area around the opening, for impingement of the hand of the user, in holding the plate against the Work, retention elements carried by the work-engaging face of the plate, to stabilize the plate while the starter hole-is being drilled, adapter plates for selective engagement in the central drill bit opening of the plate,to accommodate drill bits of lesser diameters than the diameter of the bit used in the plate, and fingers issuing, in spaced relation, from the margin of each adapter plate, the fingers being flexed when pushed into the drill bit opening.

2. A pocket size guide for use in drilling starter holes in concrete, including a plate with a single central drill bit opening, the plate being of a size to provide adequate surface area around the opening, for impingement of the hand of the user, in holding the plate against the work, retention elements carried by the work-engaging face of the plate, to stabilize the plate while the starter hole is being drilled, adapter plates for selective engagement in the central drill bit opening of the plate, to accommodate drill bits of lesser diameters than the diameter of the bit used in the plate, each of the adapter plates being provided with a flange adjacent the opening to stabilize the plate constantly during the drilling operation, and fingers issuing, in spaced relation, from the margin of each adapter plates, the fingers being flexed when pushed into the drill bit opening.

7 3. A starter guide for use in drilling holes in concrete including a master plate with a single opening of comparable circumference to complement the diameter of a drill bit being guided therethrough, retention elements carried by the Work-engaging face of the plate, said elements surrounding the drill bit opening, to facilitate maintenance of the plate in optimum position throughout the drill starting operation, index lines running at predetermined intervals on the outer face of the plate, to automatically center the hole on a demarked work zone, adapter plates for selective engagement with the opening in the master plate to accommodate drill bits of lesser diameters than the diameter of the bit used in the master plate, each of the adapter plates being provided with a flange, adjacent the'bit opening therein, to stabilize the bit constantly during the drilling operation, and fingers formed on the margin of each adapter plate to permit flexing of the adapter plate into the opening of the master plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A POCKET SIZE GUIDE FOR USE IN DRILLING STARTER HOLES IN CONCRETE, INCLUDING A PLATE WITH A SINGLE CENTRAL DRILL BIT OPENING, THE PLATE BEING OF A SIZE TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE SURFACE AREA AROUND THE OPENING, FOR IMPINGEMENT OF THE HAND OF THE USER, IN HOLDING THE PLATE AGAINST THE WORK, RETENTION ELEMENTS CARRIED BY THE WORK-ENGAGING FACE OF THE PLATE, TO STABILIZE THE PLATE WHILE THE STARTER HOLE IS BEING DRILLED, ADAPTER PLATES FOR SELECTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN THE CENTRAL DRILL BIT OPENING OF THE PLATE, TO ACCOMMODATE DRILL BITS OF LESSER DIAMETERS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE BIT USED IN THE PLATE, AND FINGERS ISSUING, IN SPACED RELATION, FROM THE MARGIN OF EACH ADAPTER PLATE, THE FINGERS BEING FLEXED WHEN PUSHED INTO THE DRILL BIT OPENING. 